I almost always remove the tube that comes with the bike and replace them with the slime tube. Its just better to prepare for the worst by buying the best.
I've never changed a flat tire on a 5 degree day and I want to keep it that way. I use slime tubes to give me some confidence that I won't have to.
the sealing goo has a tendency to flat spot when the tire sits, presumably at the lowest pt, a little disturbing initially, seems to distribute more equally after a mile or so. If it does puncture, the escaped goo makes it difficult to adhere a patch
in the field. has saved several rides for me, and that it very good.
I REALLY hate flats. Wouldn't use anything else. Adds a little weight, but.....
A little messy when you inflate your tires, but if you have your stem between 11 and 1 (clock positions) it is really minimal.
Works great at sealing small punctures from thorns. Unfortunately, it also seals up when it gets into the valve. I have replaced a couple of tubes because when putting air into the tubes, some slime inevitably got into the valve. Gummed it up so that it slowly lost air. I don't know that this is a reason to NOT use this product. If you get lots of thorns anyway, this will probably keep you from changing tubes two or three times a month - the valve issue causes me to replace the tube once every three months. Personally, I think it saves me money and hassle.
As a commuter cyclist, flats are a deterrent. With Slime inner tubes, I have gone over a year without a flat. That does not mean I have gone over a year without issues. Slime Presta valves clog and fail. Take care to read all instructions on the back of the box. Near the bottom you will see how to clean them.
I though I could avoid Slimes by buying extreme flat resistant tires. I bought Specialized Armadillos. Two flats in a month.
Slimes are only part of the solution. Even with Slimes, I got many flats after my Serfas Secas (flat resistant tires) had over 1500 miles. So you still have to keep your tires up to snuff.
This tube works well on my road bike. With all the goat heads we have in Utah, it's a requirement.
These tubes are great. I've ridden home to find punctures in my tire and never noticed during the ride. These tubes work!
This tube works as advertised, no flats yet despite riding around and through a lot of Blackberry bushes (ouch!). It is heavy and the Slime tends to collect at the bottom of the wheel. Make sure you let it redistribute evenly before jumping to high speed on trainers or rollers!
We pick up lots of what the locals call goat-heads, which are a thorn that lays on the paths and results in flat tires. We tried using the heavy tubes which helped a little but not much. After becoming much too proficient at fixing flats, I decided to try these slime tubes. On the original adding air, I didn't keep the valve at the top of the tire and some of the slime migrated into the valve core. I couldn't get air either in or out of the tube. I ended unscrewing the valve core and still couldn't get the core out. I ended up using needle-nose pliars to pull the core out and since there was some air in the tube, the slime blew out all over me, the bike and everything else! Follow directions!
I live in puncture vine territory, it's saving me buying tubes every other week. Vine is supposed to make you strong if you eat it, but buying tires every other week if you don't, bites. Ha!
Works great. Careful when deflating, slime will foul schrader valve.Schrader cap is a removal too, so cleaning valve is easy.
I keep this on my rear tire all the time now. Total life saver! Riding through city streets every day, I can really tell the difference between when I have a slime tube vs a regular tube in the frequency of flats. I highly recommend this.
while not the lightest tubes, I managed to pass 4 people during a race filled with goatheads that all flatted out. Sure I had goatheads stuck in my tires too, but still had 60psi when I got home and they were walking.
There are a lot of goatheads in my area. I used these in combination with Mr. Tuffy Standard Weight Tire Liner, and haven't had any flats.
It does what it is supose to do. I had a confirmed puncture from a thorn. I removed the thorn and the tube sealed itself with minal pressure loss.
Fine
Slime Self-Sealing Tubes, I use the product on my road bike. One thing to know is that the slim will jam the air valve stem causing an air leak when air is applied to the tube initially. Take out the valve when putting air in or replace the valve after air is applied. Have extra valves and removal tool in your bike tool kit.
I've used these on my road bike for years. Every time I change out a tire I see small signs of seepage, each indicating a puncture I did not have to deal with on the road. OK, rotating weight needs to be at a minimum, so just train with them if you like. The rest of us can save a whole lotta grams just by riding enough!
There was a period I got 3 flats in a one week, even with tire liners. A real pain, especially if it's raining. I searched around for alternatives and gave Slime a try. I've been Slimed and I love the stuff. All my bikes have Slime Tubes installed. I'll get an occasional Slime Spray, which tells me it just plugged a leak and I can continue my ride without stopping. When you do have time to repair the leak (really isn't necessary), the Slime marks the spot, making for a easy repair.
